1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to determining wind direction and more particularly to a device for attaching to golf equipment such as golf carts or golf bags to enable a golfer to determine the direction of the wind.
2. Description of Related Art
The direction of the wind on a golf course is very important to a golfer. A cross-wind to the direction of the ball flight forces the golf ball to turn toward the direction of the wind. A head wind or a tail wind affects the distance a golf ball travels. Therefore, a golfer who knows the wind direction can hit the golf ball in a manner that compensates for the wind direction in order to achieve a more accurate golf shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,798 issued Jan. 19, 1988 to Henry E. Orkin discloses a wind direction finder for use on a golf cart. The wind direction finder comprises a fastener portion and a ribbon portion. The fastener portion includes an adhesive material for attaching to a canopy frame post of the golf cart. As the wind blows between the main body of the golf cart and the canopy, the wind lifts the free end of the ribbon and the angle, direction and speed of the wind can be observed by the golfer to indicate both direction and speed of the wind. However, the adhesive material of the fastener does not permit the wind direction finder to be quickly and easily removed and reattached to other golf equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,751 issued Apr. 9, 1985 to Michael A. Tabet discloses a combination golf retriever and wind indicator. The golf ball retriever is in the form of a wind sock having an open large end and a small end too small for the golf ball to exit. When the wind sock is held in the air at the end of a telescoping rod it functions as a wind sock indicating the direction and intensity of the wind. However, this device requires the user to take additional action to grasp the rod and extend it into the air instead of being able to quickly observe wind direction while getting ready to hit the ball. Also, wind direction can quickly change between the time of the reading of the wind sock and the time of addressing the ball with a golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,523 issued Mar. 7, 2000 to Randolph A. Smith discloses a golf wind sock assembly 10 for visually indicating wind direction in a continuous manner. A wind sock 16 rotates 360 degrees about a shaft 22 to determine the direction of the wind. Another wind sock assembly 20 provides an instrument to indicate wind force and speed. However, driving through woods or tree-lined areas on a golf course could be restrictive resulting in the sock getting hung-up or the pole bent, and it is cumbersome to install to the roof of the golf cart and carry on a golf bag.